The invention relates to antigens, means and methods for the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy and acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has recently been recognized in several countries. The disease has been reported mainly in homosexual males with multiple partners, and epidemiological studies suggest horizontal transmission by sexual routes as well as by intravenous drug administration, and blood transfusion. The pronounced depression of cellular immunity that occurs in patients with AIDS and the quantitative modifications of subpopulations of their T lymphocytes suggest that T cells or a subset of T cells might be a preferential target for the putative infectious agent. Alternatively, these modifications may result from subsequent infections. The depressed cellular immunity may result in serious opportunistic infections in AIDS patients, many of whom develop Kaposi""s sarcoma. However, a picture of persistent multiple lymphadenopathies has also been described in homosexual males and infants who may or may not develop AIDS. The histological aspect of such Lymph nodes is that of reactive hyperplasia. Such cases may correspond to an early or a milder form of the disease.
It has been found that one of the major etiological agents of AIDS and of lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS), which is often considered as a prodromic sign of AIDS, should consist of a T-lymphotropic retrovirus which has been isolated from a lymph node of a homosexual patient with multiple lymphadenopathies. The virus appears to be distinct from the human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) family (R. C. Gallo and M. S. Reitz, xe2x80x9cJ. Natl. Cancer Inst.xe2x80x9d, 69 (No. 6), 1209 (1982)). The last mentioned virus has been known as belonging to the so-called HTLV-1 subgroup.
The patient was a 33-year-old homosexual male who sought medical consultation in December 1982 for cervical lymphadenopathy and asthenia (patient 1). Examination showed axillary and inguinal lymphadenopathies. Neither fever nor recent loss of weight were noted. The patient had a history of several episodes of gonorrhea and had been treated for syphilis in September 1982. During interviews he indicated that he had had more than 50 sexual partners per year and had travelled to many countries, including North Africa, Greece, and India. His last trip to New York was in 1979.
Laboratory tests indicated positive serology (immunoglobulin G) for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus. Herpes simplex virus was detected in cells from his throat that were cultured on human and monkey cells. A biopsy of a cervical lymph node was performed. One sample served for histological examination, which, revealed follicular hyperplasia without change of the general structure of the lymph node. Immunohistological studies revealed, in paracortical areas, numerous T lymphocytes (OKT3+). Typing of the whole cellular suspension indicated that 62 percent of the cells were T lymphocytes (OKT3+), 44 percent were T-helper cells (OKT4+), and 16 percent were suppressor cells (OKT8+).
Cells of the same biopsed lymph node were put in culture medium with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), T-cell growth factor (TCGF), and antiserum to human a interferon (xe2x80x9cThe cells were grown in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with antibiotics, 10xe2x88x925M xcex2-mercaptoethanol, 10 percent fetal calf serum, 0.1 percent sheep antibody to human xcex1 interferon, neutralizing titer, 7 IU at 10xe2x88x925 dilution and 10 percent TCGF, free or PHAxe2x80x9d). The reason for using the antiserum to xcex1-interferon was to neutralize endogenous interferon which is secreted by cells chronically infected by viruses, including retroviruses. In the mouse system, it had previously been shown that anti-serum to interferon could increase retrovirus production by a factor of 10 to 50 (F. Barre-Sinoussi et al., xe2x80x9cAnn. Microbiol. (Institut Pasteur)xe2x80x9d 1308, 349 (1979). After 3 days, the culture was continued in the same medium without PHA. Samples were regularly taken for reverse transcriptase assay and for examination in the electron microscope.
After 15 days of culture, a reverse transcriptase activity was detected in the culture supernatant by using the ionic conditions described for HTLV-I (B. J. Poiesz et al. xe2x80x9cProc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.xe2x80x9d 77, 7415 (1980)). Virus production continued for 15 days and decrease) thereafter, in parallel with the decline of lymphocyte proliferation. Peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured on the same way were consistently negative for reverse transcriptase activity, even after 6 weeks. Cytomegalovirus could be detected, upon prolonged co-cultivation with MRC5 cells, in the original biopsy tissue, but not in the cultured T lymphocytes at any time of the culture.